


Love after Death: A widows guide to acceptance

by Magicunicornofdoom



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Illnesses, Major Illness, Memories, Mental Health Issues, Native American symbolism, Old Friends, Other, Platonic Relationships, References to Depression, References to Illness, References to PTSD, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Religious Themes, Sad with a Happy Ending, Spoilers, Widowed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magicunicornofdoom/pseuds/Magicunicornofdoom
Summary: (High honor Arthur)SPOILERSTakes place during the epilogue!Reader can't get over the death of her husband, Arthur Morgan, even after eight years. So she embarks on a journey to her former gang-members/friends in hopes of moving on.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 44





	1. Saint Denis

**Author's Note:**

> Italics = Memories

* * *

**October, 1911**

* * *

**Eight years.**

Eight years since you last saw Arthur Morgan. Eight years since you last touched Arthur's skin, since you last kissed him. Eight years since you shaved his beard, scolded him for smoking. Eight years since you woke up to a hot cup of coffee being brought to you by Arthur.   
Eight years since Arthur kissed your forehead and whispered an 'I love you' before you both fell asleep.

Eight years ago, you had left Beaver Hallow despite you begging Arthur to let you stay. Eight years ago, you ended up in Saint Denis. That same day, an inn keeper let you stay for free since you entered his business sobbing, covered in dirt and blood. The blood wasn't yours, but you weren't going to worry about that right now.  
You had cried so long and hysterically that the bath helper had came to check on you. She had comforted you the best she could and asked you what was wrong but how could you explain that your husband was dying and the law was after him? How were you to say that you knew that he was dying or dead right now but you weren't able to be there to comfort him?

Now, eight years had passed and you still stayed in Saint Denis. No longer were in that inn, rather you had your own little home and worked in a saloon. When the coast was clear, you had wondered back to a few hiding spots that you knew Arthur had left money at and retrieved it. It was enough to buy a home and mourn peacefully for a few weeks before having to get a job of your own.

Finding a job was actually a bit difficult. Not many places wanted to hire a lady, but you had found a job in a saloon. It was the very saloon Arthur had taken you out on a date on when you all had fled Rhodes. 

_"Arthur?" You questioned as you gently shook Arthur, causing him to groan slightly._  
_"What?" His voice was gruff and somewhat annoyed that you had woken him up. You two had just went to bed!_  
_"I can't sleep.." You whispered as you laid your head against his chest. With a sigh, he slowly opened his eyes and gently wrapped his arms around you._  
_"Why not?"_  
_That was a stupid question. Arthur knew why. You were still upset about Sean. They all were._  
_Sure, having Jack back was amazing and brought some joy to the gang but deep down they all still mourned silently the death of Sean._  
_"I don't know.." You lied as you felt Arthur start to rub your back._  
_Looking towards the clock, Arthur sighed lightly._  
_"Its only 10." He spoke, making you raise a brow in confusion._  
_"Isn't that late?" You questioned._  
_"Not to late for the saloon. Come on. When was was lookin' for Jack I went in some saloon to ask questions. They have some real fancy food like.. lobster somethin' and prime rib."_  
_Arthur sat up from the bed, and you sat up with him._  
_"We don't have to go.. I'll go to sleep."_  
_But Arthur shook his head. "No, I need this too."_  
_That caused a smile to come to your face and you nodded._  
_"You sure you don't mind?"_  
_"I'm sure."_

Life had been incredibly lonely for the past eight years. You refused to make friends, and refused to date. Your heart was still loyal to Arthur. And, despite your mind telling you it was okay to move on, you couldn't. You had hopes that one day Arthur would return to you. How were you to explain to him that you had moved on when he returned to you?  
Deep down you knew that he was dead, and he had died a long time ago. Nearly a decade ago. Why could your heart not believe that? Why was it so hard for you to process.

Sighing as you walked down the sidewalk back towards your home after a long days work, you couldn't help but pause when you arrived at the large church as the bells rung eight times. You had been to the church many times the past few years.. even before Arthur's death.

_"I never been in a church." Arthur spoke_  
_"Yeah, if you did, you'd burst into flames." You spoke, making Arthur laugh and pretend to be hurt._  
_"Harsh." He replied to you as you laid your head down against his shoulder while you laughed._  
_You didn't know why you two were here, admiring the church. Maybe he had just wanted time alone with you? You weren't all that sure. But you weren't going to complain._  
_"I've always found churches romantic." You admitted, making Arthur raise a brow._  
_"Why? It's just a big building with... Jesus in it."_  
_You rolled your eyes towards him and gently smacked his arm._  
_"It's just.. the fact so many people have gotten married in there. Thousands of happy couples. Millions of times the bells have rung just to celebrate the marriage, the union of two people. It's romantic to think about."_  
_Arthur playfully scoffed at you and he kissed your head._  
_"I ain't understand why so many people get married in churches. Why don't people wanna have a nice outdoor wedding? Some place with wildlife and flowers?"_  
_"Probably 'cause it's easier to get a priest in a church rather than out in the wilderness."_

Your time at the church now a days was

to do something you never did before Arthur's death. It was to pray. You prayed every night that Arthur was okay. You prayed for all your friends to be in heaven, that you would one day meet him again.   
Arthur, by no sense of the word, was the best man in the world. He wasn't holy. But he wasn't a bad man. He did things to help people.. for the most part. You wanted to believe that Arthur was up there in heaven with Lenny, Hosea, Sean, Arthur's child. You hoped that to be true but you weren't sure. Had he done too much bad to be offered forgiveness? That was a question that ate away at you daily. 

You finally pushed the door to your home open, feeling a smile on your face as you entered. "Copper, I'm home!" You called.   
You heard the clicking of dog nails on the hardwood floor as you were greeted by your dog.  
"Hey, boy! Sorry I'm late. Hope you weren't too lonely." The loyal Catahoula cur just wagged his head and rolled onto his back for a belly rub.  
Copper was the most loyal dog you had ever met. And the name Copper.. it meant so much to you. It was the same name as the dog that Arthur owned long before he met you. You hadn't even named this dog, he came with the name. You took that as a sign from Arthur, as stupid as that sounded. 

_"How much for him?" You question to the farmer as you held your hand out to the pup who hesitantly came over to you._  
_"That boy? Oh.. that poor boy." The farmer sounded sorrowful for the dog, which made you raise a brow._  
_"He ain't much of a huntin' dog. Nor a farming dog. The other dogs 'round here are so mean to him. Had to pull him out of a few fights already. No one 'round here cares for him but me. I call him Copper, I found him when I was searchin' for copper." He laughed._  
_The dog seemed nervous, and that made sense now._  
_"I don't need him for farming or hunting, just need a friend." You spoke as the dog came over, and you carefully began to rub his head._  
_"Well.. I suppose if you promise you ain't goin' to use him for gator bait I can give you a good deal. $60? Comes with his bowl and bed. Deal?"_  
_You took one more look at the pitiful face of the dog before you felt your lips upturn to a smile and you handed the farmer some money. "Deal."_

You had this dog for four years, and it had been great. He was such a great guard dog. He came fishing with you, would go to the store with you, even sit outside the church to wait for you. He'd been the best thing to happen to you through all these years.  
"Let's get some dinner, then head to bed. Yeah?" The dog just wagged his tail and followed you to the kitchen to join you for dinner.

You heard the echoing of the bell ring ten times and you had just turned your light out to lay down. Copper laid by the bedroom door and you set your romance novel down so you could sleep.  
"Goodnight, my love." You whispered as you kissed the wedding ring that Arthur had given you. 

_"Are you serious?" You whispered as your mouth was_ _agape_  
_"Well, that ain't the words you want to hear when you're proposing." Arthur grumbled as he began to stand up from the knelt position. His face red from embarrassment and he was quickly shoving the ring back into his pocket._  
_"No no! I meant that in a good way, Arthur! Of course I'll marry you!" You exclaimed as you wrapped your arms around him and began to kiss all over his face._  
_Arthur never thought that he was good enough for you. He had already prepared himself for you to say no. He thought you deserved someone that wasn't an outlaw, that could provide for you.. give you a family. But.. you had just said yes. You really wanted to marry him?_  
_"You sure you wanna marry someone like me? An outlaw? An old, ugly grump who doesn't des-"_  
_"Shush, Arthur." You spoke as he began to put the ring on your shaky fingers._  
_"You're everything I could ever want in a man, and more. You're more than I could ask for in this life and I want to be your wife more than anything." You smiled as you leaned up and kissed his lips._  
_"Wow.." Arthur whispered. "Your expectations are low._  
_"Arthur!"_

  
Nights were the hardest. Not just because your bed had been lonely for the past eight years, but because your own mind tormented you with such vivid dreams of the past.  
The death of Sean, Lenny, Hosea, Susan and even Molly who never really liked you.   
Most nights ended up with you waking up and sobbing while begging for someone or something to end this suffering and pain. You'd beg nightly for the dreams to stop, but that never came.   
Copper always came to you in order to comfort you, but sometimes that didn't even work. You would just sob for hours while the dog tried to lick you better.

This wasn't normal. The way that you sobbed nightly, the way that you begged for death. This wasn't normal.   
So, that was why you had decided tomorrow you'd embark on a journey. A journey of acceptance that Arthur was gone, and to allow yourself the chance to move on and have a normal life. And you wanted to start that journey by talking to a certain (now) Mrs. Tilly. 


	2. Tilly Pierre (née Jackson)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader finds Tilly and has a nice chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there's weird spaces between paragraphs. Not sure how to get rid of them, I've tried everything lol.

* * *

**October, 1911**

* * *

You'd been up since before the six church bells rang.   
You had been packing up your stuff most the morning after being awoken by your dreams.   
Your bags were packed and at the front door, and your coat was wrapped around your waist. You knew that it wouldn't be hot here in Saint Denis, but your journeys would bring you to a cold part soon enough.  
"Come on, Copper!" You called and the dog made his way to you. With that, you took one more look at the home that you would be leaving for God knows how long. You'd return one day, but it would be a long time.  
You had a horse and wagon prepared for yourself. You'd typically just ride there but no way would you make poor Copper walk that long! A wagon at least made it so you could let the dog hop in.  
After packing your items in the back of the wagon, you gently patted the horse. "Now, Copper. Let's go and find Tilly. I know she's somewhere here." You smiled at the dog who wagged his tail.  
You walked with Copper, your eyes scanning in hopes of possibly finding Tilly. You knew she was here in Saint Denis, but you forgot where she lived! That's what happens when you only visit someone once. You couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about not remembering where she lived since you were certain she remembered where you lived.

_It had been a whole year. 1900. You couldn't even count how many conversations you over heard from people discussing how this year would be so much different. All the sudden advancements in technology. You thought it was pretty funny at first, but soon you began to join in the joy simply because you didn't want to be an old grump._   
_You were trudging your feet towards your home after leaving the post office. Work had been brutal lately. Some ship full of fancy people from England landed and they kept constantly coming to your saloon. You hated it and so badly wanted to quit but damn the money was good._   
_Wrapping your winter coat around your body tighter, you hurried down the road that now was covered in rain droplets._

_(Name)?" A familiar voice called to you, causing you to turn around._   
_"Tilly?" You were in shocked. Tilly was here in Saint Denis?_   
_The two of you ran to each other, pulling each other into a tight embrace._   
_"I can't believe it.. I thought.. I thought you were dead." You whispered to Tilly as you felt the tears start to fill your eyes._   
_"I thought the same thing. I'm so happy to see you're still alive. I was so worried about you. I wanted.. so badly to go back to you, but I knew how dangerous it would be." Tilly spoke._   
_You nodded your head, silently forgiving her since you would've done the same thing._   
_"I hear about Arthur. I'm.. I'm so sorry, (name). I don't even know how difficult that could be."_   
_You could feel the tears growing in your eyes and you hugged onto Tilly again. It was still so fresh in your heart and mind, so all you could do was hug Tilly and hope the tears would stop._   
_Tilly kept her grip on you, before she pulled away from the hug and helped you wipe the tears off your cheeks._ _"Do you want to come over for dinner? I have someone that I want you to meet." Tilly offered with a small smile._   
_"I'd love to." You whispered as you wiped your eyes and followed Tilly to her new home._

You had no clue where Tilly might be this time of day, and Saint Denis was big so you could only hope you ran into her. Not like you wouldn't see her again if you couldn't find her now, but you really wanted to see her before you left. What if she talked some sense into you before you made your journey all the way to the Marston ranch? It'd be a long journey for nothing.  
Walking with Copper, you let out a small groan as you felt your legs growing tired from walking. "Maybe leaving at six in the morning was a bad idea. I don't think she's working so I don't think why she'd be out this early." You muttered, somewhat annoyed with yourself for even being up this early.  
"Looks like we ain't going to find her, Copper." You sighed as you sat down to wait for the trolly to come. You were goin to ride to the other side of town and see if she was there. Unlikely, but maybe.  
You sat down on the bench with Copper laying down next to you while you both waited patiently.

Tilly Jackson. She had been a close friend of your since you joined the gang. She was the one that stood up for you when you couldn't find your voice. She was so headstrong, passionate. She was like a sister to you, and you had went to her for so many issues you had.  
She had been one of the people that helped you get ready for your wedding to Arthur. Then again, all the women helped you get ready since they were all thrilled for the wedding.

_"I'm real nervous, Tilly. What if he gets cold feet and doesn't show up?" You questioned nervously as you felt Mary-Beth braiding your hair._   
_"If he doesn't show up, he ain't going to be alive. That boy won't get to see another day on this earth if he doesn't show up." Tilly spoke, causing you to laugh at her words. You knew you could count on Tilly._   
_"Besides.." Tilly spoke as she finished placing a little bit of blush on your cheeks. "Arthur won't get cold feet. I've seen the way he looks at you. He tries to act big and strong, but he stares at you like you're the most beautiful woman in the world. Like a school boy with a crush."_   
_Your face flustered and you wanted to shake your head, but last time you did Tilly yelled at you for messing up her work!_   
_"You're so beautiful, (name). Arthur is going to be extra happy to see you." Tilly spoke as she stood back to admire how you looked._   
_"Do you think he's going to be pleased?" You questioned nervously._   
_"He's going to be ecstatic." Tilly spoke as she gently wrapped an arm around you and pressed a kiss onto your cheek._

You were lost in your thought again when you felt a hand on your shoulder. It caused you to nearly jump in the air before you turned.  
"Tilly?" You questioned as the woman smiled as she looked towards you.  
"Hey (name), I haven't seen you in a long time! I got worried that you had moved!" Tilly laughed and you stood up up, hugging Tilly, in which she returned the hug.  
"Actually, I was just getting ready to leave. I'm coming back though." You assured her, but you noticed the lump on Tilly's stomach.  
"You're pregnant?" You questioned, albeit cautiously in the terrible chance that she wasn't pregnant and you may of just offended her because she gained weight. Wouldn't be the first time you made this mistake..  
Tilly nodded her head in excitement. "My first baby, I'm so excited! We already set up their nursery, got them lots of toys. Their daddy ain't even let me leave the house till recently!" Tilly was truly glowing, and you loved to see that. Tilly was someone that you truly believed deserved a happy ending after her time in the gang, and seeing how excited she was about her pregnancy just brought a warm feeling to your heart.   
"That's amazing, Till! I'm so incredibly happy for you." You said as you gently placed a hand on her stomach before withdrawing your hand.  
"Thank you. Now.. why were you looking for me?"   
You didn't want to ruin Tilly's good mood by talking about your worries. You did you really want to do this? You had so many years to mourn so why make someone else feel your grief and pain after she had clearly moved on? It wasn't fair.  
"Uh.. just to say goodbye." You lied, but Tilly shook her head.  
"Do you think I'm dumb, (name)?" Tilly questioned as she gently rubbed your shoulder. "I know there's more that you want to say. Come on, we can go for a walk and talk."  
You nodded your head and began to follow Tilly while Copper lazily trailed behind you.

The walk was silent for a few minutes, before Tilly decided it was time to see what was wrong.

"Are you going to tell me what's bugging you?" Tilly questioned, and you let out a small sigh.  
"I don't wanna make you annoyed.. or upset." You said softly.  
"Did you have an affair with my husband?"  
"What? No, of course not!"  
"Did you steal money from me? Or murder a friend of mine?"  
"No!"  
"Then there's nothing to worry about about, those are the only reasons I'd get annoyed or angry." Tilly assured with a smile, her hand resting on her bump.  
You laughed softly, but that did bring some ease to your heart. At least Tilly wouldn't be angry with you talking about Arthur for the millionth time.  
"It's.. about Arthur." You said, causing Tilly to stop walking and turn towards you.  
"Of course, what about him?" Tilly questioned to you. Her tone went from that playful tone you knew so well, to a more compassionate and soft tone. As if you were a child.  
You didn't know how to start. You didn't really know what to say to her. How were you supposed to explain how you were feeling when you didn't even understand it?  
"Do you.. think it's bad I'm still mourning him?" You questioned, but before Tilly could answer you rambled on.  
"I mean, I haven't even dated anyone since Arthur. Anytime I feel a slight interest towards someone, I feel guilty. I feel like I'll be cheating on him. Do you think it's stupid to be mourning him still almost a decade later?" You finally let out a breath and stared at your feet in worry of what Tilly may say.   
Tilly didn't speak for a moment, her hand carefully rubbing against the bump on her stomach. You were starting to think she was going to give you the news that you didn't want to hear. That you had to move on, and that you mourning this long wasn't normal. She was sure quiet a long time. Or at least you thought she was being quiet.   
"No, I don't think it's stupid." Tilly finally spoke, causing your heart to feel a little bit better. You felt a bit more at ease.  
"You loved Arthur, and he loved you. You didn't get to properly say goodbye to him. You never got true closure. If I was you and in the same situation of you, I would probably be acting the same was as you. Honestly." Tilly assured you which caused you to smile slightly towards her words.   
Tilly words brought you ease. You felt a lot more confident that your feelings were valid, and despite them being bad feelings, it brought you a bit of happiness knowing that it was normal.  
"The both of you loved each other very much, you two got married and all. But I think that you shouldn't feel guilty about moving on though. Arthur would want that, wouldn't he?"   
You nodded in confirmation since you knew far to well that Arthur would want you to find your own man to marry. Start the family that you always wanted, the family you and Arthur spoke about so many times.   
You wanted to that life with Arthur though, not some other man. But how were you supposed to have that life with Arthur when he was long gone?   
"I think.. you should go and see Charles or John, or whoever it was that went to bury him after all was.. done and see the grave. Maybe that'll give you a bit of closure? Maybe your mind is still convincing your heart deep down that he's still out there?" Tilly offered and you felt a small smile coming to your face. You didn't know how she knew John was still alive.. but you weren't going to question it. Maybe she just assumed he was alive?  
Visiting his grave. That had been something he had never ever thought of. You had thought it would be far to painful to visit that sight but.. Tilly was right. Tilly was always right.  
"Tilly, thank you so much." You whispered as you hugged her again, careful of the bump. "I'm going to do that. I'm going to go to John, Charles, whoever it was, and ask where his grave is."  
Tilly pressed a kiss onto your cheek before pulling away from the hug. "Good, you do that and by-" However, Tilly was cut off when the bell rung eight times. Had it really been two hours since you searched for Tilly?   
"Oh.. shoot, I need to go. I promised my husband I'd meet him for breakfast." Tilly looked nervous, like she was unsure if she could leave you without you breaking down in tears.  
"I understand, Tilly. You should get going. That baby has to eat!" You smiled as you stepped back, Copper taking your side.  
Turning, Tilly began to back away from you, still facing you. "What I was going to say is, by the time you're back this little baby should be born and you can come and visit us." Tilly spoke with a wide grin, and you nearly laughed as you saw the wind pushing her brown hair from behind her, and causing the dress she wore to create such a nice form around her growing stomach.  
"You know that I'll be there. You're going to make me babysit and I already know that." You laughed as you waved goodbye to Tilly while she turned around and jogged towards the café that she had to get to. 

"Well, Copper." You spoke as you turned towards the dog and began to walk with him to the horse and wagon that waited for you.  
"Our next stop, John. It's going to be a long journey.. Maybe we'll stop in Valentine so I can show you why it's one of my most favorite towns."   
Copper barked in agreement, and you knew that the two of you were ready for the next leg of your journey. 


	3. Valentine - Mary-Beth Gaskill

* * *

**_October, 1911_ **

* * *

_"Why do you act so different when we're in camp?" You questioned as you approached Arthur, earning a raised eyebrow from him._   
_"I ain't act no different." He replied as he went back to oiling his gun._   
_"Yes you do. You won't even look at me when we're in camp. I don't understand, Arthur."_   
_"Maybe you ain't understand since I ain't doin' that." Artur was starting to sound annoyed and you noticed his hands working quicker on the gun._   
_"Everyone notices it, Arthur! When we're in town you ain't able to keep your hands off me. But when we're in camp, you won't even look at me. If I sit next to you, you'll leave. I wish you'd tell me what was wrong."_   
_Arthur set the gun down, his fingers tapping on the gun in annoyance. Had you just come here to bug him?_   
_"I have better things to do than listen to this." Arthur spoke, causing you to frown as he stood up and began to walk away._   
_"You're treating me how Dutch treats Molly." You muttered under your breath as you slumped on the ground._   
_But, those words caused Arthur to freeze and turn towards you. "What was that?" His voice sounded almost as if you had just insulted his mother and his whole family tree._   
_"I said, you're treating me how Dutch treats Molly. You told me you loved me, Arthur. And now you're acting like I don't even exist. We've been together for a long time now yet you still feel the need to pretend nothing is going on despite all of them knowing?" You were frustrated, but your words wouldn't fair well in Arthur's heart._   
_"Don't you ever say I'm treating you like that." Arthur's voice was harsher as he sauntered towards you and somewhat gripped your arm. It wasn't harsh, but more of a warning grip._   
_"But you are!"_   
_"No I ain't!" Arthur finally rose his voice at you, causing you to cringe slightly. He never rose his voice at you. But this was different. You had finally offended him. Though unintentionally._   
_"I ain't nothin' like Dutch when it comes to women. I ain't having an affair, or latching onto any new pretty face that comes along. I'm loyal only to you. I try my best, I just ain't affectionate."_   
_"That's not true though! You're plenty affection when we're alone together. Why is it different here at camp?" You finally freed your arm from Arthur's grip, causing his hand to fall to his side and his hand to turn into a fist._   
_"Maybe you ain't understand me and we're not really supposed to be together." Arthur spoke, causing a pain to fill your heart._   
_"Don't say stuff like that, Arthur! I love you!"_   
_"But you don't understand me." He replied before he walked away from you._

Rhodes. Rhodes had brought you bad memories. You and Arthur bickered a lot here. You blamed Rhodes for the downfall of the gang. In your mind, everything had been alright before you came to this hellish place.  
Rhodes had been where you lost Sean, Jack got kidnapped, the Pinkertons got on the gangs trail, and Arthur was taken by Colm O'Driscoll.   
'Course, in reality, Rhodes had done nothing to you. It was Dutch and Micah that caused the downfall of the gang in the end but you had to blame someone other than them. And Rhodes got it.

You had only passed through Rhodes. You didn't dare to stop there after riding through and seeing it was just as sexist and racist as ever. Some things never changed.   
Despite the hunger that was in your stomach, you had refused to stop in Rhodes. You would only stop there if God themselves came down and forced you to stay in this town. Rhodes wasn't the only place that had this effect on you either.  
So, though your stomach begged for food and your body ached from riding in the wagon for so long, you road through and had stopped at Emerald Ranch to eat the lunch you'd packed the previous night.  
Emerald Ranch was your marker, a reminder that you were so close to Valentine and it wouldn't take long to get there now. Even after all these years it had barely changed. Some new faces, what looked like an 'updated' train station, but everything else was the same.   
It was nice, somewhat funny to see how it was all the same.   
After your lunch with Copper sitting near the long abandoned store of Emerald Ranch, you began to journey to Valentine. It wasn't far at all from Emerald Ranch. Maybe less than an hour if you road fast.  
The rolling hills brought back memories, happy ones. Not just with Arthur, but with Charles too. Since he had been a big help for you to learn how to hunt, not something you were a fan off but at least Charles helped you.  
You often wondered about Charles too. Was he still alive? You sure hoped so. He was always so kind to you, even though he barely spoke to you. But, he had been a big help near the end. Having Charles (and John) there to help you out and get you out of there seemed to ease Arthur a bit.  
Maybe you'd get to see him again sometime, that'd be a joy.

"Finally, we're here." You groaned to Copper as you hopped off the wagon and began to stretch your body out. You had been sitting in that wagon for some time now, so you were pleased to finally be getting your legs out to stretch. Copper jumped down after you, and you hitched your horse up before deciding just to see how much a train ticket would be.  
Now, you actually weren't all that sure where the Marston ranch was. When Abigail wrote you, she didn't say exactly where it was. All you knew was it was somewhere between Blackwater, the Tall Trees and Strawberry. That didn't narrow down your search all the way but how many homesteads could there be?   
"You stay here, Copper. I'm going to check about a train ticket." You spoke as you gently patted the dogs head and Copper happily trotted off to the sheep, in order to harass the poor creatures. Chuckling, you entered the train station and began to make your way towards the seller.  
After some chatting, negotiation and discovering there was no train that went to Blackwater anytime soon, you settled on taking a train to Rigg's station. Of course that meant you had to leave your horse behind, but you'd pick them back up from the stables when you came back. Plus your horse would probably like being bale to relax at a stable rather than pulling your wagon across a whole another state.  
"Great, the train will be here in about an hour." The train clerk spoke, causing you to nod your head. Just enough time to get your horse settled and get your stuff back!

Twenty-minutes. That's how long it took you to get the boarding paid for your horse, and your items brought to to the train station.   
Groaning, you set down your heavy bags with a thump while Copper jumped onto the bench next to you and laid his head down.  
Your eyes scanned the other benches, just for something to do when your eyes fell upon a woman. She looks so.. familiar. Your brain was attempting to process who it was and your staring must of lasted much longer than you thought because the woman snapped her head towards you.  
You were nearly about to pull your eyes away when a gasp fell from your lips.  
"Mary-Beth?"  
"(Name)?!" Mary-Beth shot up from where she sat and rushed over to you, and you joined too. You hugged Mary-Beth and she hugged back so tightly that you thought you were going to suffocate.  
"Oh my God, I thought I'd never see you again!" Mary-Beth's voice cracked, though you weren't sure if it was from shock of seeing you, or if it was because you were smushing her too!  
Pulling away from the hug, you both mirrored each other's actions by wiping your eyes then laughing at how you copied each other.  
"I can't believe you're still around. I thought.. well, I didn't think you died but I thought you moved somewhere like California or New York." Mary-Beth said, causing you to laugh.   
"Nope, just in Saint Denis near Tilly. Where have you been?" You questioned and Mary-Beth sat down in excitement.  
"I became a novelist! I've traveled all over from it, I make mighty good money. I went to France. Can you believe that? Me, Mary-Beth, going to France!" Her excitement was contagious and you could help but grin towards her.  
"You become a novelist? What books have you wrote?" You questioned and Mary-Beth began to dig in her bag.   
"Actually..' Her voice trailed off before she pulled something out of her bag. "I have a copy of my newest book right here!" She spoke as she handed it to you.  
Taking it into your hands, you read the title 'The Lady of the Manor' and, the second your eyes fell upon the author's name, your face heated up.  
Leslie Dupont. An author that had gotten you through some of your most lonely nights without Arthur. In fact a few of the novels had been what spurred you to wonder if mourning for Arthur this long was normal.   
"I've read your books! I didn't even know it was your writing." You commented as you held the book in your hands.  
"You have? Oh that makes me so happy to know. You know, I send Tilly a copy of my books every time I write one." That would explain Tilly's massive collection of romance novels.  
The two of you chatted for a few more minutes about her novels, her life, how everything had changed, when the inevitable topic of Arthur came up. You, for once, hadn't been the one that brought him up.  
"Arthur.. is he.. uh.. Well, he was mighty sick before I left and I was just wondering if he was still.. you know.."  
"No. He died, not long after all the women left camp."  
"Oh.. oh my, I'm so sorry." Mary-Beth stared at her hands in fear that she may of just brought up harsh memories. And she did, but you weren't mad at her. Not one bit.   
"It's not your fault." You assured her as you felt Mary-Beth's hand gently take yours.   
"He really loved you, you know? He loved you from the second he saw ya. I could tell. You never believed me about it until he finally got up the courage to tell you." That caused you to laugh, since she was right.

_"He doesn't even know I exist. Why would he like me?" You groaned to Mary-Beth as you scrubbed the dirty clothes at the camp in Blackwater._   
_"You've only been part of the gang for.. what? a month? And he's already brought you some gifts. I've been apart of the gang for nearly a year and he hasn't done that! Not even on my birthday!"_   
_"Well that just sounds like he's rude." You murmured, causing Mary-Beth to gently nudge you._   
_"We're about to do a big robbery. A dangerous one. Don't you wanna tell him how you feel? Just in case?"_   
_"In case what?"_   
_"I don't know! He gets caught, he dies, he takes the money and runs away."_   
_"Mary-Beth!" You scolded, making her laugh and hold her hands up in defense before she went back to washing the clothes._   
_You shook your head towards her, going back to paying attention the task at hand instead of listening to Mary-Beth's so called 'theory' about Arthur's feelings towards you._   
_You'd be lying if you said that you overcome with joy at the idea of Arthur Morgan, the big handsome man in the gang, had feelings for you. But you had heard stories of his first love, Mary, that it caused you to gain anxiety of trying anything._   
_"If you two ended up with each other.. think how romantic it'd be, a big ol' cowboy falling in love with a simple girl." Mary-Beth hummed_   
_"I ain't simple." You pouted while Mary-Beth laughed._   
_"You knew what I meant."_   
_Rolling your eyes, you went back to doing what you had to so Mrs. Grimshaw didn't get upset at you._   
_It was quiet a few minutes before Mary-Beth sudden gasped, causing you to turn towards her._   
_"Oh, (Name)! I forgot somethin' real important!" Mary-Beth said as she stood up._   
_"What? What's wrong?" You questioned nervously in case it was something real bad. Had she forgotten to get the horses prepared for the robbery?!_   
_"I forgot I had to ask Arthur if he had any laundry. Shucks, and my hands are full already. Maybe you can do it?"_   
_That caused you to roll your eyes and you gently shook your head. "Mary-Beth.."_   
_"You better hurry and ask, see ya later!" With that, Mary-Beth scurried towards Tilly who was covering her mouth to cover the giggling she and Mary-Beth were letting out._   
_You knew just what was going on. Tilly had to be in on this too! Of course they were, they were looking for some sort of gossip to share with Karen and Abigail._   
_Walking towards Arthur, you cringed slightly as you walked towards Arthur, who looked up towards his coffee cup._   
_"Er, Hey Arthur.." You said nervously._   
_"Hey." His tone sounded a bit upbeat, and held a tiny but of excitement within it._   
_"Do you.. have any laundry that you need done?" You questioned._   
_He shook his head and you went to turn to go back to what you were doing, before he cleared his throat._   
_"Wait uh.. you wanna have some coffee with me?"_

"I know that, Mary-Beth." You smiled as you looked towards her.   
Mary-Beth always knew about romance. She was always the one that you went to to ask about romance and she always knew what to tell you!  
A train whistle rang, but you knew it wasn't yours since it came from the opposite direction as where you needed to go.  
"Aw.. I need to go." Mary-Beth said sadly as she stood up, and you joined her in standing.  
"Listen, I'm still really close to Tilly, I come and visit her from time to time. I'd love to.. write you, and visit you if you'd let me?" Mary-Beth sounded worried like you'd say no!  
"Of course, Mary-Beth!" You scrambled in your bag for a piece of paper, but when you couldn't find it, Mary-Beth took the book that she had just given you into her hands and withdrew a pen from her bag.  
You watched as she scribbled her address down, and signed it with her pen name.  
"Now don't go sellin' this book, alright?" She winked playfully which made you nod your head.  
"'Course not."  
"Write me whenever you get the chance.. I hope you find what you're looking for." Mary-Beth hugged you as the train whistled again to tell her it was last call for boarding.  
"I miss you, so much. I hope we'll talk again soon." You whispered, and Mary-Beth stepped back. Her eyes were gleaming with tears but she wiped them away.  
"I miss you too, don't worry. I plan on visiting Tilly after her baby is born so we all can hang out. It'll be like old times but with less law after us."   
"Maybe for you." You joked and Mary-Beth laughed as she grabbed her bags and got onto the train.  
"Goodbye for now, (Name)"  
"Goodbye, Mary-Beth." 

You waved the train off. You and Mary-Beth waved to each other until you couldn't see each other and you felt a bit of sadness in your heart.  
"God, Copper.." You started as you sat down next to your bags.   
"I miss the old times so much. Everything about it. Not just Arthur. I miss it all. Even the law chasing us."   
As expect, Copper didn't reply to you but instead laid his head down on your lap, giving you those big puppy eyes that always made you feel more at ease.  
"Then again, I wouldn't have you." You whispered, and Copper gave you a slobbery lick across your cheek before you laughed and hugged the dog the best you could.

_"Hey Arthur?" You whispered to him as you laid your head against his chest._   
_"Yeah?" His hand gently stroked through your hair, causing your eyes to close as you held onto him. You could hear his gentle heart beat. So slow, he was clearly nearly asleep._   
_"When we get married and get our own house.." You could hear Arthur's heart race quicken and you noticed his eyes had opened a bit wider so he could properly see you. He looked so handsome, his face was somewhat illuminated by the fire that shined into the tent slightly._   
_"Can we have a farm with a big old farm dog?"_   
_A breathy chuckle escaped Arthur's lips as he leaned down and gently pressed a kiss onto your forehead, his grip tightening against your shoulders._   
_"Whatever you want in this world, I'll give ya."_


	4. Blackwater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably make the this book 11 chapters rather than 10, this chapter is a bit of filler of just reader searching for the Marston ranch but has Arthur x reader moments in it.

* * *

**October, 1911**

* * *

_Arthur was sick, you knew this. He was very sick. But you had hoped he'd be okay. Maybe he'd get better._  
 _Arthur's skin and grown pale, all the color fading expect on his fevered cheeks and reddened nose. His eyes had sunken into his face and his was losing weight rapidly._  
 _All you could do was hope he got better. You had no clue what to do, or what to say to Arthur._  
 _You sat next to him while he coughed into the rag that you had given him and he began to scoot away from you._  
 _You didn't know what was wrong with him, but you knew that it wasn't good._  
 _"Do you want something to drink?" You questioned as you gently rubbed the sweat off his forehead, but he somewhat shifted away from you which caused you to frown._  
 _"No.. No thanks." Arthur spoke as he crumbled up the rag and shoved it into his pocket._  
 _You felt Arthur's hand suddenly on yours, giving it a light rub with his thumb and you scooted closer to him again and gently laid your head down on his shoulder._  
 _Beaver Hallow had been freezing cold, you were kept awake most nights out of fear those backcountry murders would come and kill you all. But you had also been awake for Arthur, wishing that he'd finally let his body rest but he never did come to bed anymore._  
 _Most nights you saw him sitting around the fire alone, or leaning up against the cave half asleep. He had a look in his eyes that you never saw him have. It was a look of fear. Sure, he hid it well but you could see it in his eyes._  
 _Now, the two of you were snuggled up in bed. You had finally gotten him back into bed with you after hours of begging, pleading just for him to lay with you. You weren't laying down yet but rather just simply sat with each other. That was all that he would do with you._  
 _"Arthur?" You questioned as you felt his hand stop rubbing yours for a moment._  
 _"Yeah?" He replied, laying his cheek down onto the top of your head._  
 _You just wanted to bask in the warmth of his body on yours. You missed being able to cuddle with him. He hadn't let you do this in a long time._  
 _"Did you go to a doctor?"_  
 _Arthur just nodded and you felt his body tense slightly. "Not by choice."_  
 _"What do you mean not by choice? Who made you go?" You looked up towards Arthur and he let out a small sigh._  
 _Arthur gently began to rub your cheek. There was that look again. The look of fear, regret. Nervous to tell you the truth of what was going on._  
 _"Arthur?"_  
 _"I'm dying, (name)." His words were so blunt, and it hit you like a hammer right over the head._  
 _"What?" Your voice nearly cracked as you stared at him. His blue eyes turning misty but he clearly repressed the tears that wanted to fall._  
 _"I'm real sick. There ain't no cure for it. It's already past the point of savin' me."_  
 _"There has to be something we can do.. Please Arthur, I can't lose you." You begged him as if he had much of a choice in the matter._  
 _"I'm sorry, (name)._ "

You nearly jumped when someone shook your shoulders awake.  
"Oh Miss, I'm sorry. I was just waking you up to tell you that we've arrived at Rigg's station." The train attendant spoke, causing you to stand up and look towards him.  
"Thank you, sorry.. you startled man."   
The man simply smiled and walked off to wake up the other passengers that fell asleep.  
You took out your pocket watch and frowned at the time. You had only slept an hour? Not much of a surprise given the fact you took a train. It didn't take long to get here thanks to the good old rail way.  
Getting off the train with Copper and your heavy bag, you suddenly remembered something.  
Now, you liked to pride yourself in being at least somewhat smart. Sure you never went to any of those fancy colleges or really had a proper education, but you still prided yourself on being smart. But.. after exiting the train and seeing no stage coach there, you wanted to kick yourself and hop back on that train!   
"Copper.." You looked at the dog, who looked at you and wagged his tail.  
"We didn't take our wagon. We're goin' to have to walk the rest of the way!" You exclaimed, feeling rather stupid for having forgotten that Rigg's station wasn't all that close to Blackwater. You should've been patient and waited the few extra hours!  
Copper stared at you, wagging his tail before you let out a small sigh and placed your coat on top of Copper for him to carry it while you basically dragged your bag behind you. Thank God for leather bags.

Four hours was how long it took you to walk halfway to Blackwater with no horse and a heavy bag. It probably would've taken you twice as long had a nice family not stopped and offered you a ride. Of course any decent person would've stopped to help after witnessing you being tripped by Copper (and your coat) when he ran after some poor wildlife. Much like a scene from a comedy novel, after you fell, your bag had flew open and all your personal belongings exploded all over the place. Copper, the help that he was, grabbed your more.. 'delicate' clothing and began to run around with it. But that family stopped, helped you collect your belongings (and Copper) and gave you a ride.  
You were taken to Blackwater with no issues from the family, and you made sure you thanked them with $50. It wasn't much, but you weren't rich, and you set off to find a place to stay for the night with Copper.  
Now, you weren't all that sure if your journey would end here in Blackwater since you really hadn't a clue where the Marston ranch was. It could be any ranch between here and Tall Trees. So you were hoping if you asked around and John used his real name, you'd be able to find it without a hitch.   
You could only imagine how terrible it would be if you had misread a letter by Abigail and she said that she had just moved FROM the ranch and not to it. 

  
You had found an inn, one that would let you keep Copper inside and you more than happily accepted the price of $10 (for the pet fee) and went straight to bed. It was fairly late, and you were exhausted so you decided you would go to bed and go on your search tomorrow.

_"Darlin'?' The sweet nickname that Arthur called you so many times caused you to look towards him as the two of you road towards O'Creagh's Run. You both decided it would be best if you had some time alone with each other._   
_"Hm?" You questioned as you looked away from the road and allowed your loyal horse to guide you._   
_You had been trying your best to hide your sadness and fear of what would happen to Arthur, but he knew that you were in pain. He hated seeing that._   
_"I know that you're upset." You wanted to laugh at his words. How could you not be upset? Your husband was dying and refused to run away with you to Mexico in hopes of prolonging his life even a bit._   
_"When I first found out I was sick, before I went to the doctors, I made a little.. hidden drop with money in it and some goods. Stuff you can sell."_   
_"I don't want that, Arthur. I want you to be alright!"_   
_"I want that too, but I can't do anything about that." Arthur's voice was calm and gentle. He was scared too, but he had to be the calm one._   
_"Anyways. It's all the way near Donner falls. It's hidden right under a railway board near the bridge." Both your horses came to a stop as you arrived at the lake._   
_Arthur walked over, helping you off the horse as he gently squeezed your hand._   
_"It should be enough to last you a while."_   
_You held onto Arthur's hand roughly, laying your head down on his arm as the two of you walked towards the lake._   
_"Why can't we use the money to run away with each other? We can go to Mexico.. or some other hot country. I don't wanna lose you yet." You were begging again. As if Arthur didn't want to live a little longer._   
_"Just me and you, Arthur. We can run away together and get the farmer that we want to get. Have a dog. Have our own children. We can have the life we wanted, Arthur. Please." You clung into Arthur, and you felt him gripping onto you back._   
_"Please stop." Arthur's voice held desperation in it. Deep down you knew that if he had the option, he'd gladly live. He wanted that life with you._   
_"Let's just.. enjoy our time out at the lake, okay?" Arthur gently led you towards the lake._

Morning arose and you spent most of it asking around if anyone knew where John or Abigail lived.   
Many hadn't known who you were talking about and that caused you to worry that you had went to the wrong place.   
Maybe you had misread the letter? That would be a big shame, coming all this way and walking so far your legs ached just to find out you were in the wrong place?

You were wondering around town of Blackwater, about to give up on your search when your eyes widened towards the man that you could see getting escorted (more liked kicked) out of the saloon you had left not long ago.  
It wasn't John, but someone that was probably equally as good.  
"Uncle?" 


	5. Beecher's Hope - Uncle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uncle will have a second part in the story discussing Arthur and the former friendship between reader and Uncle.

You could hardly believe it. Never were you so happy to see that old drunk called Uncle than you were now! Even if you didn't find John, at least you found Uncle!   
"(Name)? What're you doin' here?" Uncle questioned as he yanked his grip out of the bartenders grip and walked his way over to you. The bartender was shouting about how uncle owned his money and he had to pay or he'd call the sheriff.  
"Calm down, calm down. I gotcha money. People now a days. All about money. That's greed! You know back in my day we weren't greedy." Uncle rambled on, but you were still in shock that Uncle was alive still. Even after all these years? Out of everyone in the world he had survived? You didn't mind that one bit though.  
"Anyways." Uncle made his way over to you with a smile on his face.  
You wrapped your arms around Uncle, embracing him tightly. He was pretty shocked at that since you never hugged him back in the days of you running together.  
You smiled towards Uncle before the two of you pulled away.  
"What are you doing here? Last I heard you were in Saint Denis!" Uncle said with a small smile as he hugged you again, and you gladly accepted the hug. You didn't knw why, but the hug was comforting. Maybe you had missed Uncle more than you remembered.  
"Well I came here loo-"  
"You're missing $10." The bartender spoke, making Uncle move out of your grip and turn towards him.  
"Excuse me? Can't you see two friends are reuniting? How dare you! I-"  
You just rolled your eyes and handed the bartender $10 so he would leave you two alone.   
"I came here looking for John. I really.. need to talk to him. And Abigail, and Jack.. and anyone else that might be there." You informed Uncle  
Uncle looked.. excited at those words. You could see his eyes light up and he seemed to basically be dancing in his spot.   
"Good news for you! I live with the Marstons! Helped John build the ranch by hand. Yep, me, John, Charles. We all worked hard. I mean I worked hard, John just lazed about and he-"  
"Charles is there?" You questioned, deciding to cut Uncle since he didn't seem like he would stop anytime soon.  
"Oh yeah. He's staying for a few more weeks then he's headin' up to Canada. You came right in time." Uncle spoke as he took your arm, leading you to his horse.  
"I'll take ya there. We can catch up on the way."

Running into Uncle of all people wasn't what you had expected when you arrived here in Blackwater. Maybe running into John, or even Sadie. But not Uncle.   
You weren't sure what you had thought happened to Uncle. You knew he was alive when you left but part of you accepted the fact that he had probably demised. Subsumed to his 'terrible illness' known as Lumbago.   
But here he was, alive. And you didn't know why but it brought you so much joy, some of the pain you had in your heart had lifted.   
Uncle and you weren't particularly close when you two ran together in the gang. You two were on friendly terms, talking every now and again but never best buds spending days cracking jokes with each other.   
That man must of wiggled his way into your heart somehow and planted a seed of platonic love within it. Could it really be a surprise though? Uncle was always so kind to you. 

_"Are you alright?" Uncle questioned as he walked towards you._   
_"I'm freezin' Uncle! Why did we have to stay here in the Grizzlies? We should've headed right to Mexico or somethin'. Somewhere warm and tropical so I didn't die from the cold!" You shivered as you pulled your jacket tighter around your body, all the while trying to keep the sleeping Jack warm too._   
_Uncle laughed at your words, causing you to pout and shiver up closer to Jack, who was now practically laying across your lap._   
_"Not nice to laugh at a freezin' lady. What if I freeze to death? The last thing I hear is you laughin' at me? Real cruel, Uncle." You responded to him as you ran a hand through Jack's hair as a way to comfort him, and hopefully keep his ears a little warm._   
_However, your rambling and pouting was stopped when you felt a blanket being placed upon your shoulders. The sudden weight caused you looked up and there you saw Uncle covering you up with a blanket. Sure the blanket had holes in it, and it was very thin but it was better than having nothing._   
_"There, can't have ya dying when Arthur is gone. You know that I'll be blamed for it." Uncle spoke, keeping the blanket tucked around your shoulders before he went back to sitting on his chair._   
_You couldn't help but smile as you kept Jack nice and warm, mentally thanking Uncle for the blanket. Maybe you'd survive until Arthur got back after all._

"Didya hear about Micah?" Uncle's voice broke your thought as you turned your eyes off Copper who ran along side the horse you road on with Uncle.  
"No, what about the rat?" Uncle laughed at the harshness of your words, but he held similar feelings towards Micah.  
"John killed 'em. With the help of Sadie and Charles, of course. But.. He's gone.  
Those words caused you to grip on Uncle a bit harder.   
Micah. He was dead?   
Now, you knew you shouldn't wish harm on anyone. It was very unholy to do so, but Micah was someone that deserved it more so than anyone in this world.   
Micah had bullied Arthur right near the end of his life, making rude comments, calling him Black-lung, and even mocking him by saying that when Arthur died, He'd 'take real good care of you' and give you the 'baby that Arthur never did.'   
It was all mocking, trying to make the end of Arthur's life more painful. All of you knew that Micah wouldn't really do anything. You wouldn't let him do anything, and if he tried anything he'd be castrated pretty quickly.  
You attributed part of the downfall of the gang to Micah. Before he came along, you had heard the gang ran smoothly. Once Hosea passed, Micah had some how forced himself into Dutch's mind and turn him against everyone, other than Micah. 

_"Say Black-lung. When you ain't around, why dontcha let me take care of yer wife? I'll treat 'er real well. I've seen the ways she looks at me." Micah laughed, along side the two goons that he had brought with him. No one knew where these two idiots came from, but Dutch wasn't kicking them out for whatever reason._   
_"Shut up, Rat." Arthur spat back at Micah, stifling the cough that wanted to escape so badly that it caused his lungs to burn and his eyes to water._   
_"I'll give 'er the life you promised her but didn't give her. Lotsa babies. 'course we'll wait a few years before that. Gotta enjoy my pretty little thing before she gets ruin-"_   
_Micah didn't get to finish saying the words that wanted to leave his lips before Arthur had his revolver drawn towards Micah. Had John not stopped him, Micah would've been dead. And Arthur wished he would've kept through with it._   
_"That's right, walk away you coward!" Micah shouted as the two men laughed next to him, while John lead Arthur away from Micah and back to your arms._

"Good. I'm glad he's dead. He deserves it. Anything that John did to him was too good for him. Scum like him deserves the most painful death." You replied, and Uncle nodded his head.   
He agreed, though he wouldn't outwardly express it right now.  
"World already seems a little better without him around." Uncle spoke, turning his horse down a dirt path towards a home.   
"Here we are, Beecher's Hope. Everyone will be so happy to see ya. Don't know if Sadie is still 'round but if she is, she'll be happy." Uncle said, and your eyes glanced around in amazement at the ranch that was built.  
It was beautiful, and certainly fit John's cowboy 'aesthetic'. Hell, he might be one of the last 'real' cowboys left in this crazy world. Of course you wouldn't call him a cowboy, John and Arthur were both always so offended if you call them back for whatever reason.   
You had never thought that John would actually build his very own homestead. Maybe buy one, sure. But make his own?  
Copper began to bark as a dog came running to greet the guest.   
"That's Rufus. Jack's dog. Real friendly dog. I think that your dog will be mighty happy with having a play mate." Uncle said with a small grin.  
Nerves were growing within you. What if John didn't want you here? Or what if Abigail didn't want there? You were pretty sure that Uncle would make you stay though, he always wanted you there.   
"Rufus, damn dog. Why're you barkin'? It's just Uncle!" John's voice was gruff and exhausted, like he had just gotten out of bed. He better not had been in bed this long! It was nearly ten in the morning.   
John squinted in the sunlight before he looked towards Uncle and rose a brow. "I thought I told ya if you wanted any.. lady friends over, you had to rent an inn! You can't have women over when Jack's here!"  
"Oh shut up, John. Look who it is." Uncle spoke as he stopped his horse and shifted his head so John could see behind him. You could see John shake his head, like he wasn't interested in seeing who it was.   
But, John did look once Uncle was off the horse and helping you down, and the second John saw you his eyes widened.   
"(Name)? Holy..."His voice trailed off, but he was clearly still in shock to see you.  
"Hey John.." You greeted somewhat hesitantly. It wasn't like you two didn't get along. In fact, at one point the two of you were very close to one another. But given how it ended with Arthur, and how the Arthur and John acted like siblings, you feared that he might not want to see you.  
Once you were down off the horse and Copper was running around with Rufus, John slowly made his way towards you, eyeing you as if you were here to do something terrible to him or his family.   
"Sorry for showing up unannounced. Didn't know your address so I couldn't really.. ya know.. send you a letter." You rubbed the back of your neck, a habit you picked up long ago.  
John shook his head as he walked over to you and gave you a small smile.   
"Don't apologize. I'm glad you're here." John wrapped an arm around your shoulder and grinned at you. "Come on, Charles is here too. Abigail and Jack! And of course Uncle. We'll be happy to have you here." John spoke as he began to lead you inside. 

The second you were into the house, you were bombarded with welcomes, hugs and excitement to see you there. Abigail literally forced you to sit down at the kitchen table and gave you a meal to eat while everyone sat around you and asked you questions as if you had been kidnapped and just returned home! 

Jack asked the most questions; 'Where were you?', 'What were you doing?', 'Did you have kids?' The questions seemed never ending from Jack and you had to admit, it was the first time you were actually happy to answer them. Charles questioned you too but normal question. Like your occupation, if you kept in contact with anyone else, just short questions before he let you finally eat the delicious meal Abigail made you.   
"Why'd you come all the way out here? Don't think it was just for a visit since you didn't even know where we were.." Abigail finally questioned, and you took a light breath.  
"Well.. I actually.. wanted to talk to you all.. about Arthur."  
Your words caused everyone to stiffen up, even Charles which was a surprise. You were met with silence before John stood up and left the house, muttering something under his breath.  
You watched John leave, and you opened your mouth to apologize but Jack shook his head slightly towards you. Your apology wouldn't matter anyways since John was long gone by now.  
"Dad doesn't like talking about Uncle Arthur." Jack was the first one to speak, causing you to sigh.  
"I'm sorry I didn't know.."  
"Don't apologize. Not your fault. You didn't know." Abigail assured you before she placed an arm on your shoulder and gave you a somewhat sideways hug.

"Besides, I want to talk about Arthur too." 


	6. Beecher's Hope - Jack

The few hours you had been here at Beecher's Hope had been a bit.. awkward.   
John wouldn't talk to you, and was sulking in the barn. You felt incredibly bad because how were you supposed to know that Arthur was a sore subject for John? Out of everyone, you'd tend to think that John would understand what you were going through but he didn't seem to understand, or want to really discuss it.  
Abigail had fixed you up a nice bed on the sofa, despite you saying you'd be fine sleeping in a tent outside. Abigail was offended you even offered such a thing!   
You were sitting in the living room of the Marston Ranch at the moment. Abigail was out there scolding John for being so rude, Charles was helping Uncle (more like doing the work) chop some wood and prepare a big old fire for tonight to celebrate your arrival. The only person currently in the house with you was Jack, and little did you know he was peeking at you from around the corner.  
You peered up from the book you were reading, raising a brow when you saw the nervous looking Jack, he seemed hesitant to approach you.  
"You alright, Jack?" You questioned, causing the boy to kick his own feet like he was a shy boy meeting someone for the first time. Of course, it'd been almost a decade so you understood his hesitation.  
"I wanna talk to you." Jack's voice was shaky, nervous, and you gave him a light smile before you placed the book mark in your book and patted the spot next to you.   
"Alright, come and talk to me."  
Jack slowly made his way towards you before he sat down on the sofa next to you, turning his whole body towards you so he could talk to you.   
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, his head dropped and his hands went into his own lap.   
"You can openly talk to me, Jack. Whatever it is. I won't tell your parents.. as long as you're not doing anything bad." You teased him, knowing Jack wouldn't do anything like that.   
Jack smiled slightly towards your words and you gently patted his head to calm him down a bit. "I wanna talk about Uncle Arthur." Jack's voice was quite, and you now understood why given the way that John had freaked out just at the mention of Arthur.  
"Of course, what about him?" As painful as it was to speak of Arthur, Jack seemed to really want to talk about him. And it might be nice to speak to Jack since apparently John didn't.  
You could see Jack's face light up, and he seemed excited to actually talk.  
"I really miss him, you know? But.. at the same time I don't remember all that much about him. I remember him takin' me fishing. And I remember him acting like a father when.. well, my dad wasn't around." Jack murmured to you.   
You gently rubbed Jack's shoulders to try and make him feel ab it better. He clearly wanted to talk about it for a while but John was no help.

_You were snuggled up in Arthur's chest, watching the fire crackling in front of you. It was peaceful. Micah wasn't around, Dutch was already in bed, and everyone else knew to leave you two alone. Or, at least you thought they knew to leave you two alone._   
_You felt Arthur's hand playfully trailing up your side, his lips lingering on your neck for a moment._   
_"We should go back to the tent.." He whispered into your ear, causing you to sigh happily._   
_"Mm that we should." You agreed._   
_As Arthur went to stand up with you, you both stopped when you saw saw Jack standing there and staring at the two of you._   
_"Jack! Er.. what're you doing here?" Arthur's face was flustered and he mentally prayed that he just got there and didn't see anything._   
_"Can't sleep." Jack sounded tired, and he, without warning, smushed himself between you and Arthur._   
_You laughed as you scooted off Arthur's lap and moved next to him while Jack laid his head down against Arthur's arms._   
_"Your momma's gonna be real worried if she wakes up and you're not there." You reminded Jack who frowned slightly and rubbed his eyes._   
_"But I can't sleep. And papa won't read to me!"_   
_"Probably 'cause he can't read..."_   
_"Arthur." You scolded, since you knew John could read._   
_Jack just yawned and kept his head snuggled into Arthur's arm while Arthur let out a small groan of disappointment._   
_He had to take care of Jack now, he knew that. You'd never forgive him if he sent the boy away just because he wanted time alone with you._   
_"Come on, I'll read you somethin.. even though you can read." Arthur grumbled and you shook your head._   
_"Real fatherly, Arthur." You teased him as you stood up too to help Arthur get the boy to bed._   
_Arthur carefully set Jack down next to Abigail, careful not to wake the woman up before he got into the chair nearby and you went to sit on the ground next to him, before he basically yanked you onto your lap._   
_"Alright.. let's read this." Arthur picked up the first book he saw and just opened it to a random page to start reading._   
_"And the beautiful barmaiden looked towards the stablehand, her loins burning and aching with desire. She began to st-"_   
_"Arthur, my god. Stop!" You basically slammed the book out of his hands and he cleared his throat._   
_"Guessin' that's Abigail's book." He muttered before he grabbed a different book. "Camelot. Okay, I can read this."_   
_It took a good ten pages of the chapter book before Jack was finally asleep. Both you and Arthur stood up, Arthur's arm around your torso as he lead you back towards the tent the two of you shared._   
_"So.. should we pick up where we left off?" Arthur questioned as his hand trailed from your torso and down a bit lower._   
_"Now? We can't do that, Arthur. What if Jack wakes up again? He might need us!"_   
_The look of disappointment in Arthur's face was almost comical. It was like he was a child being told no._   
_"You're jokin' right?" He questioned hopefully._   
_You shook your head simply towards him. "No, we need to stay away from doing that until at least tomorrow."_   
_Arthur groaned under his breath and kicked a rock. "I'm going to kill John."_

"I still remember Uncle Arthur taking me fishing. My dad tried to take me fishin' the other day. Ended up with Rufus getting bit by a snake, and him losing the fish he caught anyways."   
You let out a small snicker towards the thought of John actually trying to fish with his son.

"You got your dad near water? He must really care for you."   
Jack grinned towards your words, and seemed to be getting a bit more at ease with chatting. You understood his hesitation given how John had reacted to even Arthur's name.  
"You know, Arthur really loved you, Jack." You told him, causing Jack to look down at his hands slightly.  
Arthur never expressed it all that much, but he did love Jack. Like his very own son.  
"Did he?" Jack questioned as he gently played with the skin on the back of his own hands, causing you to nod.  
"Oh yes, he loved you very very much, Jack. He was so disappointed when your dad started taking an interest in you. Believe it or not, Arthur liked acting like you dad." You informed Jack.  
You could see the smile on Jack's face grow as you gently rubbed his back.   
"Not sure how much you remember towards the end but.. before you and your momma got outta that camp, Arthur made your father promise that he'd take real good care of you. You probably know Arthur was.. real sick."  
Jack nodded his head, having some vague memory of seeing Arthur slowly becoming more and more ill. He didn't remember a lot of what happened those years ago, but he remembered some. Enough to know what you were talking about.  
"One of his biggest fears was dyin' and you not being taken care of by your dad. He wanted me to go with you and your momma to make sure that someone would be around to take care of you, other than your mom."   
"Why didn't you go?" Jack questioned, and the question actually made you pause for a moment.  
You wondered that too. You knew it would've made it so much easier on Arthur had you went with Abigail and Jack. A way of making sure that you would be okay when he was gone since he knew Abigail would take care of you and protect you. That was a regret you had. If you had went, would Arthur had died more peacefully?  
Often times you found yourself wondering the same thing. It was a regret you had since you would now never know if leaving would've made Arthur more at ease.  
"I loved Arthur very much, as you know.. or you probably know since we were married." You tried to explain to Jack, who was nodding his head as he listened.  
"I know." Jack confirmed as he cuddled up to you, much like he did when he was a younger. It was nice, you missed being able to cuddle him. Back when he was just a little boy you would often sit with him on your lap while you tried to read to him, or draw with him.  
He was so much older now! You really wished you would've saw him grow up.  
"I wanted to stay with Arthur, he was my husband, I wanted to be with him for as long as I could. I knew that he was mighty sick, and I wanted to be with him as long as I could." You elucidate to him, but you knew that Jack understood. He was no longer a child that didn't understand stuff.   
Jack understood death, he understood love and marriage. Deep down Jack wanted to tell you that you didn't need to speak to him like a child, but he decided he'd be fine with it since you seemed to think he was a child.  
"I wish you would've came with us." Jack said, making you smile sadly.  
"I wish I would've too, honestly."

_"(Name), please. Please just got with Abigail and Jack." Arthur begged you as gently stroked your cheek._   
_He was so incredibly ill. The end of the gang was nearing, a new dawn was in the horizon, and as stupid as it sounded, you didn't want it to happen._   
_You wanted Arthur to stay with you. You wanted to stay with him forever.. no matter what._   
_"I want to stay with you.." You whispered to him as you leaned your head against his hand._   
_Arthur's touch was gentle, but not by choice any longer. His illness had reached the point that he barely had strength._   
_Most the camp had already left, why couldn't you leave? Arthur understood that you wanted to stay with him but he wanted you to be safe. He wanted you to get out of here and be safe. Being near Micah when Arthur couldn't protect you probably was far to dangerous._   
_"Please.. you can go with Abigail and Jack. They'll make sure you're okay. John will take care of you." Arthur whispered, and you shook your head._   
_"I'm staying with you, until the end."_   
_A sigh escaped Arthur's lips as he pressed a kiss onto your forehead, holding you in his arm for a moment._

Soon, Jack was out of your grip and back to sitting on the other side of the sofa. A bit of a disappointment since you had wanted to cuddle him just a bit longer but you wouldn't force the boy to snuggle you.  
"I need to get back to my book. I'm almost done with it." Jack said as he stood up.  
"Alright, Jack. We can talk more about Arthur later if you want." You offered, and a small grin came to Jack's face.  
"I'd like that, a lot. Dad ain't good to talk to about this. Neither is mama but don't tell her I said that."   
You both laughed before you waved goodbye to Jack as he walked towards his room. 

Now if only you could get John talking. That'd be a help to not only you, but poor Jack too. 


	7. Quick authors note

Hey folks!

Sorry for not updating in a long while, an update should be out on Friday.  
I already have the ending written and I've just been rewriting, editing and fixing it because I have a very specific vision for the ending!

Thanks for being patient, and thanks for the people that commented, left kudos and the bookmark! Happy to see some are enjoying it! And also just a big thanks to the readers!! :)


	8. Beecher's Hope - Charles

  
After lounging round the Marston Ranch an hour longer, you decided the next person you'd stop to talk to was Charles.  
That man was always so incredibly kind to you. When Arthur was reaching the end of his life.. Charles was sweet to you. He provided you with some sort of comfort. Such as guarding you from Micah when Arthur could no longer do it.   
As silly as it sounded, you took you getting here to talk to John and everyone right before Charles left for Canada as a sign. Yes, you had your doubts that Arthur was up there bringing you people from your past to help you move on, but it couldn't just be a coincidence, right?  
Setting your book down, and heading to the barn where you had heard Charles may be at. And you sure hoped so seeing how this farm was fairly large. Certainly didn't want to walk mile just to find Charles.  
There you found him, as expected, tending to the horses. A task that he did a lot back in the camp as well.   
Deciding not to startle him, you gently knocked on the wooden gate before you approached him, causing him to set the brush down and turn his attention towards you.   
"Hey, Charles." You greeted, causing him to nod his head towards you.   
"Hello." He greeted back, giving you a slight wave.   
You felt a bit awkward even bothering him, simply because you weren't all that sure what you wanted to say to him. Just question him about the whereabouts of Arthur's grave? Just talk about old times? Those all seemed.. stupid. Yes, you were here using everyone to help you feel better but for some reason you felt bad at the idea of Charles knowing that you were just trying to use him for closure!   
"I'm glad you came.. To be honest, I thought you were dead. If I had known that you were in Saint Denis, I would've came and visited you. I was there for a long time." Charles somewhat apologized to you, though that just caused you to shake your head slightly.  
"I thought the same thing about you, to be honest. I thought that you were either deceased or joined some Native American tribe." You admitted to him. Though you knew that he was going to join one of his Native Tribes in Canada. Where they were safer, and probably wouldn't be forced out by the government.. for now.   
Charles gave you a light pat on the shoulder, the most affection you had ever gotten from him. Even when he attempted to comfort you while Arthur was sick.. he tried though, he really did try.  
"You were always so nice to me, (name), nicer than most the people in the gang. Despite me never really talking to you, you never got annoyed with me. Or pressured me to talk to you." That was true, you hadn't wanted to pressure him into talking to you when he didn't want to.  
You had wanted Charles to at least tolerate you when you two ran together in the gang. 

_It was another cold night at Horseshoe Overlook. The rain had came and soaked literally everything. You had hid yourself in Arthur's tent in hopes of not ending up soaked._   
_The evening and night had ended up even colder than the day time, so you were now sitting around the fire. Arthur was God knows where at the moment. So, you were seeking warmth from Charles... which didn't work all that well since he kept backing away from you whenever you tried._   
_You pouted slightly but gave up when he refused it. Then again, you supposed most would with how jealous Arthur was when it came to how people treated you._   
_Charles passed you the cup of hot water you had been waiting for finally get done. You had gotten some tea from Trelawny the last time you had seen him.. which was a long time ago but you rarely had time to drink anything that wasn't whiskey._   
_"You want some?" You offered to Charles, who shook his head._   
_"No, seems to floral to me." Charles replied simply, earning nothing but a nod from you._   
_There, the two of you sat in a comfortable silence for a short time before you decided to try your luck. Maybe he'd wanna talk tonight?_   
_"Have you ever had tea?" A dumb question, yes, but you couldn't think of anything else._   
_"Something like it. Only when I was sick. My mother used to make it." Charles spoke._   
_That was the first time Charles ever spoke to you personally about his past. He never seemed to like to talk about his past, which you understood completely. Past was hard to deal with, and Charles had a harsh life._   
_"Well, if you ever want some tea, you can some."_   
_"Thanks."_   
_Then the two of you went back into silence, you listening to the crackling fire and the sounds of crickets._

  
"No point in being mean if you didn't talk anyways." You joked, causing Charles to lowly chuckle.   
Charles took his attention off you and went back to tending toe the horses, while you stood there rather awkwardly in hopes of gaining your voice in order to question him about.. well Arthur.  
You didn't want to upset him, and you were unsure about his feelings towards Arthur's demise. You knew that he left the gang right near the end, right before everything went downhill and right before Arthur's death so really.. how were you so sure that Charles was the one that had went back for his body? Maybe no one really did and you were just told that in order to make you feel better. Maybe Arthur's body had been picked away by the wildlife and no one had the heart to tell you the truth.  
"I went back for his body, you know." Charles spoke, almost as if he could read your mind, and hearing those words caused the worry in your heart to fade away easily.  
"I buried him somewhere really nice. On the cliffside, overlooking nature." Those words were of comfort to you. At least you knew that his body wasn't just left behind. Or taken by the Pinkertons to do God knows what with it.   
Knowing that Arthur was buried somewhere, it brought you ease. You wished you could've been there to see him buried but you were assuming it was probably more disgusting than you would've wanted.   
"Can I ask.. where did you bury him? Like.. the location. I want to.. visit." Though you didn't need to explain that to Charles. He understood why you asked where he was buried at. He wasn't a fool.   
"I'll give you the map I used. It'll be easier than me trying to explain it."  
All you could say was thank you, because this was all that you wanted. A way to say goodbye to Arthur.

Closure. Something you could never completely get knowing that Dutch was alive out there somewhere, but it was a start.  
"Charles I... I wanted to thank you for everything you did. Beyond taking Arthur's body." You said softly as you carefully set your hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
The sudden affection caused Charles to somewhat tense, but he soon relaxed to the touch.   
"You helped the gang more than you will ever know. You helped me more than you will know."

_Arthur, Bill, Micah and Dutch were missing. After the failed bank robbery, death of Hosea and Micah and the capturing of John, everything went downhill._   
_Sadie and Charles had been the ones keeping the gang together the best they possibly could. Sadie had been the one that found the place that the gang would move to, Charles had done the clearing out and now you all were heading off.. well, not everyone. You were refusing to leave Shady Belle, despite the warning that the Pinkertons were coming._   
_You wanted to stay here. What if Arthur came back? He'd think you left him! You didn't want him to think that._   
_"(Name)." Charles said softly to you as he watched the final wagons starting to go. You stayed sitting, refusing to get up from the spot,_   
_"Come on. You need to go." Charles spoke and you shook your head, getting upset at even the offer._   
_"I can't. What if Arthur comes back? I want to be here. I don't want him to think that I left him." You whispered, your voice almost was pitiful, and Charles couldn't help but feel bad for you._   
_"He will know that you had to go, (name). Arthur wouldn't want you wait here and get arrested or killed."_   
_Charles was right, you knew that but you couldn't help but feel the guilt that was eating away at you at the thought of leaving. Of course, part of you believed that he was dead along with Micah, Dutch and Bill but you prayed that he would come back to you._   
_"Sadie left a note. He will know where to find us when he gets back." Charles assured you. That caused you to nod you head slightly._

_"Okay.. I trust ya, Charles." That caused the man to ever so slightly smile at you before he helped you stand and led you to your horse._

"Well, I'm just glad I got to help. Glad we got to talk before I left too." Charles   
You stood there, staring at Charles for a few moments before he looked at you from over his shoulder. You weren't sure if you were creeping him out because you'd certainly be creeped out had someone stared at you this long.  
"I'll make you the map and give it to you tonight after dinner. I need to finish some of the duties I got here. If I don't do it, no one will."  
You nodded your head quickly and turned away form him, no longer feeling the need to stare at him. 

"See you there.." And with that, you headed off to your next task. To find Abigail and figure out what the hell was wrong with John before you tried to talk to him. 


	9. Beecher's Hope - Abigail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but Abigail will return.

Abigail had always been an easy woman for you to talk to. She had always been kind, polite, and sweet to you.   
Perhaps it was because you were so excited to help with Jack, you helped his read and write since Abigail confined into you that she couldn't do either all that well. Perhaps it was because the two of you would sit together and gossip with one another, or perhaps she just liked you. You didn't know.

_"Come on, (name), I told you about John in bed. You gotta share about Arthur in bed!" Abigail begged you as you carried the bucket full of dirty clothes so you could go and wash them._   
_"Abigail, you know I'm not the type of gal to kiss and tell." You teased, making Abigail roll her eyes slightly._   
_"Oh please, the first time you and Arthur kissed you left him by the fire to run over and tell all of us girls what you and him just did!"_   
_You giggled, knowing that what she said was true, but you had made a promise not to tell any of the ladies what Arthur was like in bed. You weren't all that sure how the women even figured it out! Your red face and messy hair must of given it away.. and the fact that the two of you set off to go 'hunting' but came back with nothing._

_Gossip was running slim in camp with not much going on, so of course you were being hounded at for some form of information about the infamous Arthur Morgan and you're night time fun with him. You could only discuss Karen and Sean so many times before it got boring and repetitive._   
_"Sorry Abigail, I can't tell you." You sighed out as you sat down and set your bucket down to wash it._   
_"Fine fine just tell me a few details. Just like.. was he good in bed? How big was he? Please just anything." Abigail begged._   
_You glanced around a few times and show Arthur getting hounded.. probably for the same information._   
_"Okay fine.. if you tell Arthur I told you any information, I will have to kill you." You teased and Abigail's eyes lit up like you had just offered her a million dollars._   
_"Oh trust me, I won't say anything!" She scooted closer to you so you could whisper the information with you._

Such fond memories, the way that you two gossiped all the time. You both always found something to talk about. No matter if it was something stupid or something serious!  
"John Marston, she came all the way from Saint Denis! You can at least talk to her!" You heard Abigail and John arguing and you froze, feeling the guilt rise up in you since you didn't mean for them to start bickering. You hadn't thought bringing up Arthur would cause them to fight.  
"I'll talk to her later. Leave me alone." John muttered as he hopped on his horse and road off for the night.   
You could hear Abigail muttering under her breath about how John was an idiot and being a baby, and you awkwardly made your way over towards Abigail.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you two fight." You said softly, watching as Abigail basically spun around since you seemingly scared her.  
"No, don't be sorry. He's the one bein' stupid. Actin' like you asked him for all our money or somethin'." Abigail muttered under her breath.   
You felt incredibly bad for making the two fight, but you were with Abigail at this time. How were you supposed to know just saying Arthur's name would trigger such a reaction?   
Then again, you supposed you had a similar reaction when someone brought up Arthur. And John was like a brother to him.   
"I'm real glad you came, (name)." Abigail said, deciding to change the subject. John wasn't why you were here.. or at least, Abigail hoped it wasn't why you were here.  
"Me too, Abigail. I missed you. All of you." You replied, feeling Abigail wrap an arm around you and lead you towards the house.  
"Let's get you some tea and we can chat. Without John." Abigail said, giving a dirty look towards the path that John traveled down.

It wasn't long before you were back in the home, sitting on Abigail's bed while she prepared to bombard you with questions.  
Now, Abigail was no fool. She knew that you weren't in a relationship or anything, and probably wasn't looking for anything so she knew to avoid those questions the best that she could.  
"Why did you come? I mean I'm mighty glad you did come but.. why?" Abigail questioned as she sat down next to you.  
You sipped your tea before you let out a small sigh. You wanted to tell Abigail the truth, but the words that you were about to say caused pain to fill your heart.   
"I.. came because.. Well.. I think it's time for me to move on." You voice held hesitance within it, since you weren't sure if that was what you actually wanted. Did you want to actually move on from Arthur? You did like the idea of no more pain. No more nights of crying and wondering if there was something that you could've done.  
Abigail nearly dropped her glass when you told her that.  
"You want to move on? Oh (name), I'm so happy to hear that. I mean. .I know that you loved him and you don't want to move on but you deserve to be happy." Abigail rambled on, but your mind stuck on one word that Abigail had said.   
Loved.  
You hadn't 'loved' Arthur, you still were in love with him. That's what made it so incredibly difficult. You were still _in love _with a man that had died. A man that you would probably never see again.. unless you somehow met up in the afterlife.   
"You want to find a new man?" Abigail's question made your face heat up and you quickly shook your head.   
"No no, I don't want that. I just.. want to be happy." You told Abigail with a small smile on your face. You wanted to be happy, and you knew that was what Arthur wanted as well.  
Abigail sipped her tea, nodding her head.   
"We can do that.. we can work together and you can be happy again." Abigail said as she gently patted your back.  
"Thank you, Abigail.. I knew I could count on you."  
"You always can." Abigail said, placing her free hand on yours and giving it a light squeeze.

"You can stay with us as long as you need, until your heart feels better and you're able to be happy again, I will never ever leave your side. You got that? You told me you're still sad about Arthur so you're stuck with me now." Abigail teased, causing a soft chuckle to escape your lips.

"Thank you, Abigail.."

_"Abigail? Did I ever tell you that you're like the sister I always wanted?" You questioned as you set down the nicely folded clothing that you had just finished._   
_"Well ain't that sweet? What brought that on?" Abigail questioned._   
_"Oh nothin' really. Just sittin' here with you and workin' together. Makes me think of those novels.. ya know with families in it."_   
_Abigail just laughed at you before she leaned over and gave you a friendly peck on the cheek._   
_"Well, you're like the sister I always wanted too."_

_"Now, let's get back to working before Grimshaw comes and we get in trouble again."_


End file.
